1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to optical fiber devices and methods and in particular to optical fiber devices and methods for interconnecting dissimilar fibers.
2. Description of Prior Art
High-power fiber lasers, amplifiers, and other devices are typically assembled from many individual fibers and components that must be interconnected with low optical loss. Recently developed high-power optical fibers have non-traditional mode field areas, e.g., greater than 100 micrometers squared, and arbitrary fundamental LP01 mode field shapes, such as a ring shape, a plateau in the center of the mode field, or the like. Furthermore, certain optical fibers are designed to carry the signal in a higher-order transverse mode, such as the LP02 mode, that is also non-traditionally shaped. Such non-standard mode fields cannot be efficiently interconnected using existing technology.